This invention relates to photoelectric sensors and detector terminal modules therefor.
Photoelectric sensors of the reflective and transmissive types are known and the reflective type includes the diffuse, recursion and distance-settable types. As for their external shape, various types are known such as columnar and cylindrical shapes.
As an example of prior art photoelectric sensors of the reflective type, Japanese Patent Publication Tokkai 2000-322989 disclosed a sensor comprised of a printed circuit board, a module with a photoelectric function and a case for holding them, the printed circuit board being provided with necessary electronic circuits such as a signal processor circuit, display lamps and cables connecting to an external power source and the module including a package with an LED chip serving as a light-emitting element and a photo IC serving as a light-receiving element set in a three-dimensional circuit component formed by extrusion molding and an optical lens.
When a conventional photoelectric sensor is produced, it is necessary to design the positioning of its optical lens and the printed circuit board individually according to its external shape suited to its purpose of use. Thus, if the external shape or the sensor function is to be changed, it is necessary to redesign the sensor from the beginning.
Moreover, since many different kinds of photoelectric sensors are being mass-produced, there are many individually designed components to be managed, and this tends to increase the cost of developing sensors of a new type. There has therefore been a demand for simplifying the design such that the cost of developing a new type of photoelectric sensor will be reduced.